Five years after the National Education Policy (NEP) was introduced, Uttarakhand colleges have granted students the freedom to choose subjects—but most institutions lack the faculty to support these choices. In school education, despite preparing the state curriculum framework, official approval is still pending.
Uttarakhand was the first state in India to implement NEP in schools, yet textbooks for Classes 1 to 5 are still incomplete, and the semester system is yet to be implemented for Classes 9 to 12. Additionally, key structural reforms such as the creation of the School Standards Authority, and separate cadres for SCERT and DIET, remain unaddressed.
The new 5+3+3+4 academic structure introduced by NEP is also yet to be put into practice. Although 4,447 Anganwadi centres have been renamed as Bal Vatikas, they continue to operate under the Department of Women Empowerment and Child Development, with no clear role defined for the School Education Department.
To promote local culture and heritage, the education department has prepared a new textbook titled Hamari Virasat Evam Vibhutiyan, but comprehensive NEP rollout in the state remains far from complete.
